


Thunderstorm

by aschicca



Series: 2 1/2 Men 'verse [2]
Category: Queer as Folk US
Genre: M/M, post-513
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-31
Updated: 2012-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-02 19:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aschicca/pseuds/aschicca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gus is afraid of thunder. Justin’s tale will comfort him.<br/>Second in my 2 ½ Men 'verse but can be read as a standalone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thunderstorm

Spending the weekend in the West Virginia house had soon become a habit. Gus loved having sleepovers with Brian and Justin at the loft, but a kid needed his own room – not to mention that a father needed his privacy – and, since said sleepovers usually happened during the weekend, moving to the mansion had seemed the perfect solution.

One night, with Gus already sleeping, Brian, fresh from the shower, was lying naked on the bed listening to Justin talk about his sister. Molly had started spending more and more time with them, too. She adored Gus, who thoroughly reciprocated, and the relationship she had developed with Brian made Justin alternately roll his eyes and smile fondly.

“Molly’s coming for lunch tomorrow. She said she needs to talk with you about, and I quote, ‘boy trouble.’ Why can’t she talk with _me_ about it, I’d never understand,” Justin said, coming to lie down besides Brian.

Brian grinned. “What can I say? I have the expertise.”

Justin playfully slapped Brian’s shoulder, laughing. With one swift movement, Brian rolled on top of Justin, capturing his hands and raising them above Justin’s head. “Want me to show you my expertise, little boy?” Brian whispered in Justin’s ear.

Justin shivered and squirmed under Brian but, before he could reply, a thunder rumbled incredibly loudly in the room, closely followed by lightning and yet another thunderclap. 

“DADDY!” 

At Gus’ frightened scream, Brian rolled away from Justin, cursing. “I’m coming, sonny boy!” he yelled back, and then scrambled to put something on. 

Justin didn’t wait for Brian. In a matter of seconds, he was out of their room and in Gus’.

The boy was curled on the bed, trembling, hugging his pillow and hiding his face in it. Before Justin could ask what was wrong, another flash of lightning shone in the room and a thunderclap followed closely. Gus whimpered and started to cry.

“Hey, Gus. Hey,” Justin said, sitting on the bed and taking Gus in his arms. “What’s the matter, little man?”

Gus clung to Justin with his arms and his legs, and hid his face in Justin’s shoulder. When the thunder came again, Gus tightened his grip and let out a little yelp.

“There’s no need to be afraid of thunder, Gus,” Justin said, his hand caressing calming circles on Gus’ back.

“I… it’s just so… loud… and… scary…” Gus mumbled into Justin’s shoulder.

“Gus, do you want to know why the thunder is so loud? Do you want me to tell you?” Justin asked.

Gus raised his head and looked up at Justin. He seemed to consider Justin’s question for a while, and he also looked at his father, who was leaning on the doorframe. Brian was torn between the need to take his son in his own arms and the warm feeling it gave him seeing Justin comforting Gus. When Justin looked at him, too, Brian nodded at them both.

“Yes,” Gus said, then. “I want to know.”

“Okay,” Justin said, “But let’s get comfortable first.” Justin put Gus back under the covers and lay down near him. He also signaled to Brian to come sit on the bed, too.

When the three of them were huddled together, Gus’ hand in his father’s, Justin started to talk. “Once upon a time, there were two boys. They were the best of friends and spent as much time as they could together. The people of their village used to say that if you wanted to find one of the boys, the only thing you had to do was look for the other and you’d find them. Together.”

Justin’s tale was interrupted by lightning and thunder, but this time Gus’ reaction was a simple shiver and the tightening of his hand around Brian’s.

“Unfortunately, a witch fell in love with one of the boys but he never once noticed her. She tried and tried to convince him to go out with her, but the boy only wanted to be with his best friend. One day, the witch convinced the boy’s mother to invite her for dinner so that she could spend some time with him without the other boy around. They talked that night, and the witch told the boy that she loved him and tried to kiss him. The boy rejected her, and told her that he only wanted his best friend.”

“Is everyone in your stories gay, Sunshine?” Brian interrupted, smirking.

Justin winked and Gus shushed him, making Brian laugh out loud.

“Daddy, it’s rude to interrupt,” Gus said, glaring at his father. “Go on, Justin, what happened next?”

Justin, pleased that the story had distracted Gus enough from the thunderstorm, continued, “The witch went into a rage and she told the boy that he should try to enjoy the following day with his best friend to the fullest because it would be the last day they’d have. The boy shrugged at the witch’s words, and didn’t believe her. He went on with his day like he always did, spending it with his best friend. When the time came to say goodbye for the night, the boy hugged his best friend and told him that he’d see him the following day. They parted ways, went to sleep, and when they woke up they were in two entirely different worlds, separated forever by the witch.”

Gus’ eyes widened, “That’s so sad, Justin! Poor boys… But, I don’t understand. What does the thunder have to do with this story?”

Justin smiled, “Well, the two boys started crying and were inconsolable. At first the witch, who was the only one who still could see the boys, enjoyed their pain because it soothed hers; after a while, though, she started feeling guilty. She couldn’t reverse the spell that had separated the boys, but she could modify it a little. Decision made, the witch spelled the boys’ tears and turned them into the rain. Her magic created a channel that the boys could use to talk: every time they cried hard enough to make it rain, they could also talk to one another. The voice of one of the boys would be the light, while the other could talk with sound.”

Brian looked at Gus and asked, “Who do you think the boys are, Gus?”

Gus looked at his father, then back at Justin, and asked, “Are they the thunder and the lightning, Justin?”

“Yes, they are, Gus. Every time it rains, the boys can talk to one another. They miss each other so much and that’s the only time they can talk. But, they’re far away from one another, so they need to be as loud and as bright as they can or they won’t be able to hear each other. That’s why the thunder is so loud, Gus. Do you understand now?”

A bright flash of lightning and a loud thunderclap could be seen and heard before Gus could reply, almost like the boys in Justin’s story had been listening to them. Gus turned his face to the window, and stared outside.

When he looked back at Justin, Gus smiled. “Yes, I understand,” he said.

“So now you see that there’s no reason to be scared, Gus, don’t you? It’s just two boys chatting, nothing more,” Justin smiled back.

Gus smiled back. “Yes, thank you, Justin,” he said, hugging Justin. 

Justin held him for a moment, then asked, “Do you think you can go back to sleep now, Gus?”

Gus nodded, so Justin rose from the bed and tucked him in. “Good night, Gus,” he said, before stepping back.

“Night, Justin.”

Brian, whose eyes were weirdly moist, got up from the bed, too, and leaned in to kiss Gus’ forehead. “Sleep well, sonny boy,” he said.

Gus nodded, smiling. “Night, Daddy. Love you.”

Brian took Justin’s hand in his and, with a last glance to the kid, the two of them left Gus’ room together.

Justin started to return to their bedroom but Brian stopped him right outside Gus’ room. 

“What?” Justin asked.

Brian pulled Justin in his arms and kissed him. “Thank you,” he whispered to Justin’s lips, when they broke apart.

Justin smiled, and bit Brian’s chin making him laugh. “I believe someone promised to show me something…”

Brian laughed again, and was about to reply when Gus’ called from his bedroom.

“Justin?”

“Yes, Gus,” Justin answered, after both of them stepped back into Gus’ room.

“I know I can’t ask the thunder to speak quietly because his best friend won’t hear him if he does, but could at least you and Daddy stop talking outside my door?” Gus asked, grumpy. 

Justin hid his face in Brian’s chest and laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> One of my sister's dogs is terrified of thunder. She spends the entire time of a storm trembling and panting. It's heartbreaking to watch :( Seeing her like that reminded me of my cousin and her fear of thunderclap. She was really scared during a storm when she was little and my Aunt used to tell her the same story I had Justin tell Gus here. Well, I did make it a LOT more gay... *g* My Aunt's story was more about brotherly love ;)
> 
> I have no idea if she made the story up or read it somewhere, I never asked and, unfortunately, can't ask anymore. I just always loved to think the story was true.


End file.
